Story+1999-09-28+Chicago,+IL

”(sings ´Take Me to the River’) That´s right....that´s where I wanna go, I wanna go to the river....the river of life.....I wanna find my way to that river of love....and of faith....that river of transformation....and the river of resurrection.....the river of sanctification....that river of happiness.....and sexual healing....that´s where I wanna go tonight and I want you to go with me....because I need to go with you.....because you can’t get there by yourself....in the end you find out no matter how hard you try or how independent you think you are, you can’t get there by yourself....it can take a long time to learn that simple lesson so I found myself, I was a young man standing in front of a dark grove of trees and I was frightened to pass through those trees even though I knew that the river of life, the river of a meaningful life was waiting on the other side....but I stood like a child and my legs were heavy and felt like they were stone and we were weighing and felt like they were made of lead so great was my fear....because I knew that if I passed through those trees and I made it to that river, that that life was gonna come with responsobilities....and I was frightened but I couldn´t (?)....so I stood paralyzed....just glimpsing at the river of love through those trees, just glimpsing that river of faith, that river of hope and that little stand where they were selling cold beer at a reasonable price.....and then a gypsy woman come along and she saw that I was in trouble and she said ´Son, what you need is you need some assistance, some companionship, you need a band, Son....you need help´... that’s why I’d like to introduce tonight the dean of the university of musical perversity, the Secretary of intelligence, Professor Roy Bittan on the piano..... standing with me at the riverside....I´d like to introduce Silvio, Silvio, wherefore art thou Silvio, on the guitar, Secretary of faith and friendship, Little Steven Van Zandt ....stand with me, Brother, at the riverside....I wanna introduce the foundation of the E Street nation, Southern man, Mr.Garry W.Tallent on the bass....with me at the riverside, I wanna introduce the star of Late Night Television, Secretary of syncopation, Minister of the big beat, Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums.... standing with me at the riverside, I wanna introduce the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, Mr.Nils Lofgren.....with me at the riverside, I wanna introduce my brother, Minister of mystery and all things unfathomable on E Street, Phantom Dan Federici on the organ....standing with me at the riverside....now I know brunettes are fine, blondes are fun but when it comes to getting a dirty job done, it takes a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) yeah, man, I got to have a (crowd : ‘Red Headed Woman’) I said I´m searching for a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) oh, man, I´ve got to have a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) yeah, man, I´m looking for a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) oh, I´ve got to find myself a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) I´m searching for my baby (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) I´m searching for my baby (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) the First Lady of love and Secretary of sweet harmony, Miss Patti Scialfa, on the guitar and vocals.....stand with me, baby, at the riverside.....thank you, baby....thank you, baby, boys, I think I´m in a romantic mood tonight (sings a bit of ´My Girl´) thank you, baby....now, we made it through the trees....and I could see people gathered along the riverbanks ....welcoming, but there was still something, something missing.....there was still something we couldn´t get on without....something essential....something fundamental....something very big....I want to introduce you tonight the Minister of soul, the Secretary of brotherhood, Emperor of E Street, do I have to say his name ? ....do I have to say his name ?....say who ?...say who ?....say who ?....say who ? .... say who ?.... say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?.....say who ?....say who ?...”
 * 28.09.99 Chicago, IL, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´**

´´Gonna do this next song for some friends of ours....all the folks here tonight from the Greater Chicago Food Depository....they´re a non-profit food distribution center and they´re working here in Chicago feeding struggling families and individuals that ....the many poor and the working poor that the American economy is not reaching, the Greater Chicago Food Depository are there to help insure what should be the basic human right, the right to food....so they´ll be out in the hall tonight, if you see ´em, stop by and check out what they´re doing....they deserve your time and your support....we´ll do this tonight for the memory of (?)....”
 * 28.09.99 Chicago, IL, intro to ´The Ghost of Tom Joad´**

´´Chicago !...Chicago !....my kind of town !....but everywhere I´ve gone I´ve seen people lost in confusion....I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness....I´ve seen people lost in bitterness....I´ve seen people in this city lost in the pizza, I´ve seen people lost in the Mike Ditka memorabilia, I´ve seen people but I want you to know that I´m here tonight, I´m here tonight with a purpose, we´re on a search-and-rescue mission, if your soul, if your soul got bad credit, it´s good here, if your heart´s running on empty, I´m gonna fill it up, if your spirit´s bankrupt, we´re gonna lift that debt up off you, I´m here tonight to re-educate, to resuscitate, to reconfiscate, to reindoctrinate, to resexualate, to rededicate, to reliberate you, to reliberate you with the power, with the glory, with the power, with the glory, with the promise, with the mystery, with the majesty, with the ministry....of rock and roll !....if you´ve been analyzed, stigmatised, retropsychedelicized, Pokemonized, pass-the-tax-cut-for-the-rich-Republicanised, it´s not too late to repent, I´m gonna re-educate, regenerate, resuscitate with the power, the promise, the majesty, the ministry....with the ministry of rock and roll !...and unlike my competitors, unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I shall not promise you life everlasting....but I can promise you life right now !....and all you´ve got to do is raise your hands and say ´I´....”
 * 28.09.99 Chicago, IL, middle of ´Light of Day´**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//